Trunk (car)

Last updated

The open trunk in the rear of a Porsche Boxster 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder (5217139071).jpg
The open trunk in the rear of a Porsche Boxster
Early automobiles had provision for mounting an external trunk as on a 1931 Ford Model A, in addition to the rumble seat. 1931 Ford Model A roadster rear.JPG
Early automobiles had provision for mounting an external trunk as on a 1931 Ford Model A, in addition to the rumble seat.

The trunk (North American English) or boot (British English) of a car is the vehicle's main storage or cargo compartment, often a hatch at the rear of the vehicle. It can also be called a tailgate.

Contents

In Indian English the storage area is known as a dickey (also spelled dicky, dickie, or diggy), and in South-East Asia as a compartment.

Designs

A trunk in the rear will often contain a spare wheel. 1965 Rambler Classic 660 4-d blue-white VA-t.jpg
A trunk in the rear will often contain a spare wheel.
The trunk in a 1955 Hudson Rambler 1955 Hudson Rambler 2-door AACA Iowa 2012 e.jpg
The trunk in a 1955 Hudson Rambler

The trunk or luggage compartment is most often at the rear of the vehicle. Early designs had an exterior rack on the rear of the vehicle to attach luggage trunk. [1] Later designs integrated the storage area into the vehicle's body, and eventually became more streamlined. [2] [3] The main storage compartment is normally provided at the end of the vehicle opposite to which the engine is located.

Front storage compartment in a Volkswagen Beetle Volkswagen Type 1 (Auto classique St. Lazare '10).jpg
Front storage compartment in a Volkswagen Beetle

Some vehicles have the trunk in front of the passenger compartment, e.g. rear-engined cars like Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, or electric vehicles like Ford F-150 Lightning. [4] [5] This is known as a frunk, a portmanteau of the words "front" and "trunk". [6] The alternative term froot (a combination of "front" and "boot") is also occasionally used. [7]

There are also vehicles with both front and rear trunks, either with low profile rear drivetrains, e.g. Volkswagen Type 3 [8] or Tesla Model S, or with a mid-engine, [9] e.g. Porsche 914 and Boxster, Toyota MR2 and Fiat X1/9. [10]

The 'frunk' of a Tesla Model S Tesla Model S SAO 2016 9502.jpg
The 'frunk' of a Tesla Model S

Sometimes during the design life of the vehicle, the lid may be restyled to increase the size or improve the practicality and usefulness of the trunk's shape. Examples of this include the Beetle redesign to the 1970s 'Super Beetle' and the pre-war and 1950s post war Citroën Traction Avant.

Openings

Door

Two-way station wagon tailgate which hinges so it can open down or sideways 1973 AMC Matador wagon rr-Cecil'10.jpg
Two-way station wagon tailgate which hinges so it can open down or sideways

The door or opening of a cargo area may be hinged at the top, side, or bottom.

If the door is hinged at the bottom it is called a tailgate, particularly in the United States. They are used on station wagons and pickup trucks, as well as on some sport utility vehicles (SUV). [11] [12] Traditional drop-down station wagon and pickup tailgates can also serve as a mount for a workbench. [13]

Traditional U.S. station wagons included a roll-down window retracting into the tailgate to load small items or to allow the tailgate to be opened down on its bottom-mounted hinges. Because of the potential for carbon-monoxide fumes, the tailgate window on station wagons should be closed whenever the engine is running. [14]

Two-way station wagon tailgates may be hinged at the side and the bottom so they can be opened sideways like a regular door, or drop downwards as load platform extenders. [15] They are designed with special handle(s) for opening in the selected direction on special hinges after the window is lowered. [16]

A three-way design that was also used by Ford allows for the tailgate to be opened like a door with the window up. [15]

General Motors developed a clam shell style "disappearing" design where the rear window rolls up into the roof and the tailgate slides down and beneath the load floor. [17]

If the door is hinged at the top it is termed a hatch, and a car with a rear hatch a hatchback . [12] [18] A bottom-opening door is now common on SUVs.

Lid

The trunk lid (in the U.S. automotive industry sometimes also called decklid or deck lid [19] [20] ) is the cover that allows access to the main storage or luggage compartment. Hinges allow the lid to be raised. Devices such as a manually positioned prop rod can keep the panel up in the open position. Counterbalancing torsion or other spring(s) can also be used to help elevate and hold open the trunk lid. On cars with their trunk in the rear, lids sometimes incorporate a center-mounted third brake light. A rear lid may also have a decorative air spoiler. On many modern cars, the trunk lids can be unlocked with the car's key fob.

Design history

Locks

The locking of the trunk may be achieved together with the passenger compartment.

Some cars include a function to remotely open the trunk. This may be achieved through a variety of means:

Etymology

A 1924 advert for Moynat's baggage trunk Moynat-1924.jpg
A 1924 advert for Moynat's baggage trunk

The usage of the word "trunk" comes from it being the word for a large travelling chest, as such trunks were often attached to the back of the vehicle before the development of integrated storage compartments in the 1930s; while the usage of the word "boot" comes from the word for a built-in compartment on a horse-drawn coach (originally used as a seat for the coachman and later for storage). The usage of the word "dickie" comes from the British word for a rumble seat, as such seats were often used for luggage before cars had integrated storage.

In France, from 1900 onwards, the luggage maker Moynat became a market leader in automobile luggage, for which the company developed a number of patented products including the rear-attached limousine trunk with custom-fitted suitcases. In 1928 came the side or lateral sliding trunk, a mechanism that foreshadowed the development of integrated trunks in vehicles from the 1930s onwards.

Classification

Open or closed compartments

Open compartments are those found in station wagons and SUVs, while closed compartments have a trunk lid and are typically found in saloon (sedan) or coupé bodies. Closed compartments are separated from the passenger compartment by rigid body elements or seats, and are generally trimmed in simple materials, whereas many station wagons are trimmed with better-looking materials as the space is an extension of the passenger compartment. In order to hide the compartment content of station wagons or hatchbacks from thieves or sunlight, a cover may be fitted. On hatchbacks this often has the form of a rigid parcel shelf or a flexible sheet with hooks on the corners, while station wagons and many SUVs have a roller blind in a removable cassette.

Increased variability

To give the space more flexibility, many cars have foldable rear seats, which can increase the size of the trunk when needed.

Safety

Active safety by luggage retention

The trunk space can contribute to the active and passive safety of the vehicle. Active safety may be promoted in vehicles that are partially loaded. Here the use of lashing eyes to restrain luggage can prevent or reduce damage to the vehicle and its occupants in severe maneuvers. In driving while cornering 'in-extremis', the prevention of sudden weight transfer due to poorly loaded luggage can be enough to prevent the vehicle from losing grip, and potentially avoiding thereby an accident; active safety.

Passive safety by luggage retention

If a crash should occur, lashing eyes can reduce the severity of the outcome of the accident by keeping the luggage in the loadspace compartment and thereby preventing projectiles from harming correctly restrained passengers in the passenger compartment. These lashing features may be in the form of fixed or foldable loops, or in the case of certain European vehicles combine sliding loops in a rail system to allow optimal positioning of the lashing eyes. At the same time, this eases the integration of accessories for loadspace management; dividers, bike carriers, etc. into the interior of the vehicle, a principle that has been applied in cargo vans and air transport for many years.

Barrier nets/grids

In vehicles with open luggage compartments, some are fitted with metal grids or guards to retain loose items in case of collision, or to simply create a bulkhead between the load in the trunk – for example, animals – separated from the otherwise unprotected passenger space.

Another solution for items that have not been restrained is the loadspace barrier net. These may be directly attached to the body structure or, in vehicles with loadspace cover cassettes, as a combined loadspace cover and barrier net. The net confines luggage to the loadspace in case of emergency braking and minor traffic collisions. These nets have the advantage over metal guards in that they can be rolled-up when not in use, taking up much less space than a comparable guard. A guard may however be tailored for an even tighter fit to the body interior contours than a roll-away net.

Inside trunk release

Children – and sometimes adults who climb inside to work on the vehicle – who become trapped in trunks can die of suffocation or heat stroke. [27] Once in the trunk, they may not be able to get out, even if they entered through the interior, because many rear seats release to the trunk only from inside the passenger area. Beginning with the 2002 models, a glow-in-the-dark inside trunk release is required on all vehicles with conventional trunks sold in the United States. [28] Hatchbacks, wagons, vans, and SUVs are exempt from this requirement because it is assumed a trapped person can kick out any cargo cover or parcel shelf to gain access to the main interior and passenger doors.

Riding in the trunk

Riding in the trunk is dangerous and illegal. [29] Teenagers in the U.S. may attempt to avoid laws which prohibit new car drivers from driving with passengers by riding in the trunk. [30]

Additional functions

Beyond carrying luggage, the trunk of most passenger vehicles commonly contains various other components often behind the trimmed surfaces of the interior. These components may be accessed by the customer or the service personnel through (in some cases lockable) hatches in the trim, or by removing carpet and support boards etc. Typical components:

Some vehicles offer configurable cargo conveniences such as a shelf or board. They often serve various purposes. In addition to its 65/35 split fold-down and removable rear seat, the multiposition rear shelf on the Chrysler PT Cruiser can be used as a table for a picnic, a second cargo layer, or a security screen. [31] The Citroën C3 has a foldable segmented false floorboard that compartmentalizes the cargo area, makes loading easier, and evens out the load floor when the back of the rear seat is folded down.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minivan</span> Type of van designed for private use

Minivan is a car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe is MPV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pickup truck</span> Light-duty truck with an enclosed cab and an open cargo area

A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof. In Australia and New Zealand, both pickups and coupé utilities are called utes, short for utility vehicle. In South Africa, people of all language groups use the term bakkie, a diminutive of bak, Afrikaans for "basket".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van</span> Covered transportation vehicle

A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or people in tiny quantities. Mini MPVs, compact MPVs, and MPVs are all small vans usually used for transporting people in small quantities. Larger vans with passenger seats are used for institutional purposes, such as transporting students. Larger vans with only front seats are often used for business purposes, to carry goods and equipment. Specially equipped vans are used by television stations as mobile studios. Postal services and courier companies use large step vans to deliver packages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Station wagon</span> Auto body-style with its roof extended rearward

A station wagon or estate car, is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door, instead of a trunk/boot lid. The body style transforms a standard three-box design into a two-box design—to include an A, B, and C-pillar, as well as a D-pillar. Station wagons can flexibly reconfigure their interior volume via fold-down rear seats to prioritize either passenger or cargo volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatchback</span> Car body configuration with a rear door

A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the main interior of the car as a cargo area rather than just to a separated trunk. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second-row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedan (automobile)</span> Passenger car in a three-box configuration

A sedan or saloon is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo. The first recorded use of sedan in reference to an automobile body occurred in 1912. The name derives from the 17th-century litter known as a sedan chair, a one-person enclosed box with windows and carried by porters. Variations of the sedan style include the close-coupled sedan, club sedan, convertible sedan, fastback sedan, hardtop sedan, notchback sedan, and sedanet/sedanette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utility vehicle</span>

A utility vehicle (UV) is a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed to carry out a specific task with more efficacy than a passenger vehicle. It sometimes refers to a small truck with low sides.

There are many types of car body styles. They vary depending on intended use, market position, location, and the era they were made in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trunk (luggage)</span>

A trunk, also known as a travel trunk, is a large cuboid container designed to hold clothes and other personal belongings. They are most commonly used for extended periods away from home, such as for boarding school, or long trips abroad. Trunks are differentiated from chests by their more rugged construction due to their intended use as luggage, instead of the latter's pure storage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liftback</span> Variation of hatchback with a sloping roofline between 45 and 5 degrees

A liftback is a variation of a hatchback with a sloping roofline between 45 and 5 degrees. Traditional hatchback designs usually have a 90 to 46 degree slope on the tailgate or rear door. As such the liftback is essentially a hatchback with a more sloping roof, similar to sedans/saloons from a styling perspective. Some liftbacks may also have an appearance similar to a coupe but with a tailgate hinged at the roof that is lifted to open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan Prairie</span> Motor vehicle

The Nissan Prairie is an automobile manufactured and marketed by Nissan from 1981 to 2004. Considered a mini MPV or a compact MPV. It was also marketed as the Multi in Canada and the Stanza Wagon in the United States. In Japan, it was exclusive to Nissan Bluebird Store locations, then later at Nissan Blue Stage sales channels. The Prairie had a very flexible seating capability and sliding rear doors on both sides of the vehicle, with a liftgate in the back. The name "prairie" was derived from French which means an extensive area of relatively flat grassland, similar to "steppe" or "savanna".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyota Sera</span> Motor vehicle

The Toyota Sera is a 3-door 2+2 hatchback coupe manufactured and marketed by Toyota from 1990 to 1996. It was only officially sold in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin A40 Farina</span> Motor vehicle

The Austin A40 Farina is a small, economy car introduced by Austin in saloon (1958) and A40 Countryman (1959) estate versions. It has a two-box body configuration. It was badged, like many before it, as an A40, consistent with Austin's naming scheme at the time, based on the approximate engine output in horsepower; and to distinguish it from other A40 models, it was also given a suffix name – this one being the Farina, reflecting the all-new design by Italian Battista Farina's Pinin Farina Turin studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZAZ Tavria</span> Motor vehicle

ZAZ Tavria is a range of front-wheel-drive subcompact cars produced by the Soviet and then Ukrainian manufacturer ZAZ.

A glossary of terms relating to automotive design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car body configurations</span>

The configuration of a car body is typically determined by the layout of the engine, passenger and luggage compartments, which can be shared or separately articulated. A key design feature is the car's roof-supporting pillars, designated from front to rear of the car as A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar and D-pillar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental tire</span> Externally-mounted spare tire behind an automobiles trunk

A continental tire or a continental kit is a term used in the United States for an upright externally-mounted spare tire located behind an automobile's trunk, made popular by the Continental Mark Series, which carried a simulated continental tire until 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car door</span> Type of door, typically hinged to the body of a car

A car door is a type of door opening, typically hinged on its front edge, but sometimes attached by other mechanisms such as tracks, for entering and exiting a vehicle. Doors most often integrate side windows for visibility from inside the car and can be locked to secure the vehicle.

A cargo barrier is a vehicle accessory installed into motor vehicles to aid occupancy safety when carrying loads or domestic pets, in the rear section of a vehicle. Other terms used for cargo barriers include: dog guard, mesh partition, load separator, pet barrier, and mesh grille.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda N-Van</span> Motor vehicle

The Honda N-Van is a microvan produced by Honda for the Japanese market. The origin for the vehicle's name expresses "next generation light van" proposed by N series as see in the N-One, N-Box, and N-WGN: it is part of a renewed lineup of Kei class city cars. The use of the letter "N" in the name was used by Honda for the late 1960s and 1970s Honda N360.

References

  1. ↑ Fletcher, David H. (2002). The Portland Company, 1846–1982. Arcadia Publishers. p. 79. ISBN   9780738511405 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Peerless (automobile advertisement)". Automobile Journal. 66: 7. 1919. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Madden, W. C. (2003). Haynes-Apperson and America's first practical automobile: a history. McFarland. p. 61. ISBN   9780786413973 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Unveiling the Tucker". Popular Mechanics. 88 (3): 136–138. September 1947. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Gunnell, John (2005). Standard Catalog of Volkswagen, 1946–2005. Krause. p. 15. ISBN   9780873497619 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Put It in the 'Frunk'". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  7. ↑ Eckert, Nora (6 May 2022). "Auto Makers Tout the 'Frunk:' A Trunk in Front. But Does the Word Sound Like Swearing?". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Hayes, Russell (2020). Volkswagen Beetles and Buses: Smaller and Smarter. Quarto. pp. 68–69. ISBN   9780760367667 . Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Scharff, Robert, ed. (1990). Complete Automotive Estimating. Delmar Publishers. pp. 34–35. ISBN   9780827335851 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Hartford, Bill (September 1973). "The X1/9: Fiat has a deal you can't refuse". Popular Mechanics. 140 (3): 26B, 26D, and 26F. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  11. ↑ The World Book Dictionary. World Book. 2003. p. 2137. ISBN   9780716602002 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  12. 1 2 Norbye, Jan P.; Dunne, Jim (May 1975). "Intermediate Wagons". Popular Science. 206 (5): 38. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  13. ↑ Thomas, H.M. (May 1973). "Tailgate workbench for your station wagon or pickup". Popular Mechanics. 139 (5): 67. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "Autos". Boys' Life. 59 (4): 15. April 1969. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  15. 1 2 Norbye, Jan P.; Dunne, Jim (May 1974). "The Big Wagons". Popular Science. 204 (5): 18–24, 26, 28. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  16. ↑ Norbye, Jan P.; Dunne, Jim (April 1973). "Intermediate Wagons: Big enough for most jobs". Popular Science. 202 (4): 58, 64, 66, 70, 72. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  17. ↑ Binder, Alan K., ed. (2000). General Motors in the 20th century. Ward's Communications. ISBN   9780910589529 . Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  18. ↑ Hartford, Bill (November 1971). "Front wheel drive to the fore!". Popular Mechanics. 136 (5): 128. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "Decklid". dictionary.com. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  20. ↑ Title 49 – Transportation: Department of Transportation Parts 400–599. Federal Register. 1 October 2006. p. 115. ISBN   9781577857778 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  21. ↑ "Ford quiets engines in '50s". Popular Science. 156 (1): 153. January 1950. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  22. ↑ Gunnell, John (2004). Standard Catalog of Buick, 1903–2004. Krause Publications. p. 79. ISBN   9780873497602 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  23. ↑ Mort, Norm (2010). American 'independent' automakers : AMC to Willys 1945 to 1960. Veloce. p. 32. ISBN   9781845842390 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  24. ↑ Berger, Michael L. (2001). The automobile in American history and culture: a reference guide. American popular culture. Greenwood Publishing. p. 421. ISBN   9780313245589 . Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  25. ↑ "1966 American Motors Cavalier". Car Styling. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  26. ↑ Cranswick, Marc (2012). The Cars of American Motors: An Illustrated History . McFarland. p.  87. ISBN   978-0-7864-4672-8 . Retrieved 12 July 2014. Project IV Cavalier identical; so were the hood and trunk lid.
  27. ↑ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (4 December 1998). "Fatal car trunk entrapment involving children—United States, 1987-1998". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 47 (47): 1019–1022. PMID   9853938.
  28. ↑ "A kit makes trunks in older cars safer". Consumer Reports. February 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  29. ↑ "Vehicle Ccode -VEH Division 11. Rules of the Road [21000 - 23336]". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. 5 September 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  30. ↑ Hughes, Cedric (5 September 2007). "Teenage Trunking Trend – Road Rules". roadrules.ca. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  31. ↑ "2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Review & Ratings". Edmunds. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.